Intel DQ45EK - 65W CPU power limit query

Saundie · 25 Nov 2010 at 11:01

I have an Intel DQ45EK and would like to use a quad core CPU in it, however the only ones officially supported on this board are the 65W "S" variants (Q9550S etc), which command a very high premium. What I'm wondering is how rigid this limitation is - if I were to install a 95W CPU, would it refuse to power on at all? If not, would it simply be a case of undervolting and underclocking to get it stable? I've done a cursory search via the google but I cannot see anything of relevance to this question.

Any insight (from personal experience, if at all possible) would be appreciated.

PhillyDee · 25 Nov 2010 at 11:03

Maybe because it hasn't got the 8-pin CPU connector? Not that it is really needed for C2Q.

Saundie · 25 Nov 2010 at 11:31

PhillyDee said:
Maybe because it hasn't got the 8-pin CPU connector? Not that it is really needed for C2Q.

Indeed, it had only a 4-pin CPU connector. I'm not sure if the 8-pin connector is required to deliver more than 65W to the CPU, but what I'm really interested in finding out is if it's feasible to run a 95W CPU in there undervolted so that it runs below 65W. If I had a 95W Core 2 Quad I'd just go ahead and try it, but unfortunately all I have is a QX6700 which has a 130W TDP - I'm pretty sure that it won't work.

steve258 · 25 Nov 2010 at 11:48

Boards like this probably have very limited tweakable options in BIOS so I don't think you can lower the voltage at all apart from using windows based oc program. Having said that I think it'll still work with 95w chip, it's just not officially supported so there's no guarantee if it can run stabily, with only 3 phase power modules onboard.

You can always try the 6700, worst it can happen is it doesn't boot. I don't think you can break anything by trying.

Saundie · 25 Nov 2010 at 12:01

steve258 said:
Boards like this probably have very limited tweakable options in BIOS so I don't think you can lower the voltage at all apart from using windows based oc program. Having said that I think it'll still work with 95w chip, it's just not officially supported so there's no guarantee if it can run stabily, with only 3 phase power modules onboard.

You can always try the 6700, worst it can happen is it doesn't boot. I don't think you can break anything by trying.

I was thinking along the same lines - TDP is the maximum power it'll draw when fully loaded, not how much it requires all the time, after all. The CPU that's in there at the moment doesn't support VT. I figured that I might as well get a quad core in there to run virtual machines, and it would have been a no-brainer were it not for the high cost of an "S" variant of the Q9xxx\Q8xxx series.